IoT Hybrid Alert Service Edge Server Processing
Solution Overview
Problem
Current internet-of-things (IoT) architectures face high and unpredictable latency, as well as increased network bandwidth demand, when evaluating data and triggering alerts at a server, due to the need for extensive data transmission and limited computing resources at edge devices.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid alert and action service is implemented, where data evaluation and alert analysis are performed on edge devices when possible, with server-side support for complex tasks, allowing for local decision-making and data filtering to reduce network bandwidth and latency, while ensuring sufficient computing resources are available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data evaluation and alert triggering are performed at the server, then centralized control and comprehensive data analysis are achieved, but high and unpredictable latency occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the alert evaluation functionality by deploying edge devices at intermediate locations between sensor devices and the server. These edge devices perform local data evaluation and alert triggering, while the server maintains centralized coordination. This segmentation reduces latency by processing time-sensitive operations locally while preserving centralized control for overall system management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces edge devices as intermediary components in the IoT architecture. These intermediaries receive data from sensor devices, perform local evaluation against alert criteria, and trigger alerts without requiring constant server communication. The edge devices act as mediators that balance local responsiveness with centralized oversight, reducing the time delay inherent in pure server-based evaluation.
2Reliability
If data evaluation is performed at the server, then comprehensive analysis is achieved, but network bandwidth demand increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data evaluation and alert triggering functions from the server and places them at edge devices closer to the sensor devices. This extraction reduces network bandwidth demand by processing data locally and only transmitting essential information (such as alert notifications or aggregated results) to the server, rather than continuously transmitting all raw sensor data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by enabling edge devices to perform data evaluation and alert triggering autonomously at their local locations. This allows comprehensive analysis to be distributed across multiple edge devices rather than concentrated at the server, reducing the network bandwidth required for data transmission while maintaining analytical capability at the edge.
3Power
If computing resources are concentrated at the server, then powerful data processing is achieved, but edge devices lack sufficient processing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments computing resources across the IoT architecture by equipping edge devices with sufficient processing capability to perform local data evaluation and alert triggering. This segmentation distributes computing power from the server to edge devices, enabling them to independently handle time-sensitive operations while the server maintains overall system coordination and handles complex analytical tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to the IoT architecture by introducing edge devices as an intermediate layer between sensor devices and the server. This dimensional addition creates a distributed computing structure where processing capability exists at multiple levels (edge devices and server), rather than concentrating all computing power at the server. This enables local processing of time-sensitive operations while maintaining access to server resources when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Various examples are disclosed for hybrid alert and action solution in internet-of-things (IoT) networks. A computing environment can generate an alert and an action to perform when criteria associated with the alert is satisfied based at least in part on data collected from at least one of a plurality of sensor devices. The computing environment can determine whether the alert and the action is capable of being evaluated and performed on an edge computing device in communication with the at least one of the plurality of sensor devices based at least in part on a computing capability of the edge computing device or the at least one server computing device. The computing environment can assign the alert criteria and the action to the edge computing device or the at least one server computing device.